Melting Lead

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5949

Simple question I guess. What's your favorite way to melt lead to cast bullets?

Vince · Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2023 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

I have an old alloy pressure cooker that I sit on a propane stove and use a dipper to pour the bullets. I also have a LEE electric melting pot, but I don’t use that as often because the “stopper” for the pourer doesn’t seal up fully and leaks, dripping lead out of the reservoir.

SingleShotLover · Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:32 am Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

Lee Pro 4 here. Works great.

Vince, that is a common problem for those pots. Place a container under the spout and bring the pot to temperature.Once temperature is fully reached, rotate the screw at the top of the "pour'" assembly while pushing firmly down. This should clear the obstruction causing the assembly to not seal in the pot channel. May take several tries, but should clear the issue.

Vince · Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2023 5:26 pm Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

SingleShotLover wrote:

Lee Pro 4 here. Works great.

Vince, that is a common problem for those pots. Place a container under the spout and bring the pot to temperature.Once temperature is fully reached, rotate the screw at the top of the "pour'" assembly while pushing firmly down. This should clear the obstruction causing the assembly to not seal in the pot channel. May take several tries, but should clear the issue.

Thanks mate, but unfortunately it’s a case of been there, done that. I’ve tried everything to stop it, but unfortunately is continues dripping. I think the problem is a mix of crud that builds up and also a bit of heat induced corrosion. I’ve even gone to the point of pulling the closure rod out and thoroughly cleaned both the point of the rod as well as the drip hole, all to no avail. These days I put a small tray under the dropper and catch the drips to return them to the pot. Surprisingly, I actually prefer the dipper method as it’s easier and certainly no slower, although I don’t cast heaps of projectiles these days. I cast more shot for my shotgun, but that is an entirely different process.

Gil Martin · Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2023 5:19 pm Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

I prefer to use a Lyman electric furnace to melt lead. The whole casting outfit was on sale and I snapped it up. In the past, I used a gas camp stove, but it was hard to maintain consistent temperatures. Finally, the gas stove would tend to run out of fuel at the wrong time. So it depends. All the best...
Gil

GroovyJack · Member Joined: May 21, 2005 Posts: 621 Location: Bama

When I had a bunch of sheet lead , I used a propane tank with a pot to melt a couple hundred pounds to ingots , have a lyman electric 8 pound pot for the ingots to boolits

Bushmaster · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2024 10:17 am Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

GroovyJack?? Well I'll be damned! Yer back! Where ya been all this time?

GroovyJack · Member Joined: May 21, 2005 Posts: 621 Location: Bama

Wassup ship mate ?? Been awol fer a spell , you know the drill ..

Retired again 19 months ago ..

Fixing to look for another part time gigg .

had one lasted about six months and loved it , but I got let go along with a bunch of others ..

Aloysius · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2024 4:21 am Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

Vince, I removed the valve from my Lee-pot, replaced it by a screw. So now I'm using this pot without the valvesystem and just pour the molten lead into the mold with a spoon. This works fast. I'm now even let my pot completely filled with lead to cool down at the end. So next session I just put the electrical supply on about halve an hour before I start

Bushmaster · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2024 9:35 am Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

+The "drill"...Capt'n mast for you. Standin' tall on the "green carpet".

Vince · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2024 2:57 pm Post subject: Re: Melting Lead

Aloysius wrote:

Vince, I removed the valve from my Lee-pot, replaced it by a screw. So now I'm using this pot without the valvesystem and just pour the molten lead into the mold with a spoon. This works fast. I'm now even let my pot completely filled with lead to cool down at the end. So next session I just put the electrical supply on about halve an hour before I start

Not a bad idea Aloys…but I already have a melting pot I use with a dipper, so I’m happy just to catch the drips and drop them back into the pot mate.

The dipper I use is an old CO2 gas cartridge for a sofa syphon. I drilled out the nose a tad bigger then cut a piece off the side at the back to pick up the alloy mix. I wrapped an old wire coat hanger around it for a handle (it doesn’t get hot to handle surprisingly) then “dip away”. Best thing is the dipper holds enough alloy to pour two .30 calibre projectiles, although I usually only pour one at a time to maintain the alloy heat to pour a good quality bullet.